Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-10-20
TAXES.
Governor Foraker and the Valu.
alton of Farm Property.
THE DeMAGOGIcAL LIES OF THE
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE AND
NEWSPAPERS NAILED.

NEWSPAPERS NAILED.
Full Statement of His Recommsnda-
tions in That Celebrated Special Mes
sage Made BY Governor Foraker In His
Speech st MiddIetown, October L.
Attempts to deceive the farmers on the
subject of Governor Foraker's views on
the subject of taxes have been the prin-
cipal feature OF the Democratic cam
paign. His special message on the sub
ject of tax values has been misquoted,
misrepresented and lied about in every
township in the state. In his speech at
Middletown, Saturday, October 1, Gov
ernor Foraker effectually disposed Of
these campaign roorbacks. In the
course of his speech at Middletown he
said:
''Mr, Powell seems to put great stress
upon my special message, claiming that
was seeking a revaluation of the real
estate of the state only for the purpose of
increasing the valuation of the farm
lands of the state in order that 1 might
increase their burden of taxation. do
not know how ] can better answer that
charge than by simply citing the message
itself, the recommendations it contained,
the cotemperaneous Democratic news
paper comments. and what further said
on the same subject in my last message.
The message commences by pointing out
the bankrupt condition of the state, a
condition to which it had been brought
by Governor Hoadly's administration,
and by calling attention to the fact that
while our expenditures had largely in
creased, our sources of revenue had
largely diminished
''The chief complaint 1 made in this
connection was that the aggregate of the
personal property of the state had de-
clined during the two years of Hoadly's
administration to the amount of S32, ,OOO,-
600, every dollar of which adds so much
to the taxes of the farmers. 1 then
pointed out the fact that many different
kinds of foreign corporations are doing
business in Ohio without being taxed a
dollar, and that hundreds of millions of
bonds, stocks and other securities were
not rSturned at all for taxation, and that
while Cnis was true as to personal prop
erty, 1t was also true, as Mr.. Powell
ought to know, and as every intelligent
man in Ohio does know, that there is no
uniformity whatever, one county with
another, in the valuation of real property
calling attention in that connection to
the fact that Mr.. Kiesewetter, the Demo-
cratic auditor of state, and now a candi-
date for reelection, had collected reports
from the various counties showing this
lack of uniformity and the cO6sequent
inequality of the burdens of taxation and
the hardships in consequence to all who
were taxed at anything like full valua-
ton. l recommended as a remedy, the
only one 1 know of, that laws be passed
taxing all these foreign corporations and
securing more full and complete returns
of chattel property, and that the real
property of the state be revalued in such
way as to secure uniformity and
equality. / expressed the opinion that if
such legislation could be had the result
would be that many hundreds of millions
of dollars would be brought onto the tax
duplicate which do not now pay dollar
of tax, and that thereby the burdens
which are now borne by the property
that is taxed would not only be equahzed,
but greatly lessened. Does Mr.. Powell
object to this?
''The Cincinnati Enquirer, the Cleve-
land Plain-Dealer. the Columbus Times,
the Youngstown Vindicator, and every
other Democratic newspaper of the state,
so far as 1 know, praised and cOmpli-
mented the message and its recommsnda-
tions. No one thought then, Democrat
or Republican, that /, or anybody else,
was trying to increase the burdens of the
farmers of the state, and nobody thinks
any such thing now. Gen. Powell knows
better, Col. Taylor knows better, and so
does every other informed man.
'sAll knew then and know now that the
class of property which l was after was
that which can be put into a tin box and
showed to one side, out of sight of the
assessor on tax listing day, and that
wanted it brought onto the duplicate, in
order that the farms and lots and houses
and cattle and other visible property,
which can not be so hid and covered up,
might be relieved of the unjust burden
their owners now have to bear, because
they have to pay not only their own
taxes, but also the taxes of those who
unjustly escape. 1t ought to be enough
to show the falsity of the whole charge,
to state the simple fact that all the
worldly possessions l have, aside from
my household effects, are, and were at
the time, three pieces of real estate.
While l would not allow personal conSid-
wits any public or official duty, yet GER
tains l would not be hostile to the dis
charge of duty to myself or the class OF
property holders to which belong. But
the whole case sought to be made by our
Democratic friends is negatived by the
statement in my message that the pur-
pose of its recommendation was to secure
uniformity of valuation and equalization
of burdens, and that it was my belief IL
this could be done that the burdens OF
all now paying taxes would be hghteued.
And the same is shown, as / have stated
more expressly by the statement con-
tanned in my last message, that farm
property is unduly burdened, because as
sessed at time, 1880, of much higher
values than we now have, the fact being,
as l said in so many words, that much OF
the farm property of the state is now
taxed at higher valuation than it could
be sold for.
sit is difficult for me to answer with
patience such demagogical charges and
insinuations. l was born on farm and
brought up on farm, living and work
ing there as farmers boy until the war
came. have not since l enlisted in the
army, lived on farm, but all my fam
ily and relatives and friends are farmers,
almost without exception. Ali my high
est and dearest interests are associated
with the agricultural classes. II there
is any class Of people in the state for
whose interests | have every reason to
have a jealous and watchful care, it is
the farming class. And t. my compet-
itor has ever lived on farm, il he had
ever associated with that class Of people,
or in any manner become acquainted
with them, he would know they have too
much intelligence and too much integrity
Of purpose to be misled by him Or any
other man who, having spent all his life
in q city, imagines that they can Be de-